Blog

Balding for Dollars, May 14

Any child who deals with cancer is forced to cope with sudden emotional challenges, such as isolation from friends, and the effects of abrupt changes to their normal routine. But it’s the physical changes like hair loss that come with chemotherapy treatments that can cause just as much strife, particularly to teens. Fortunately, patients and families dealing with this stress can turn to groups like Balding for Dollars for compassion and care.

Created as an annual fundraising event where people collect pledges to shave or cut their hair in support of children diagnosed with cancer or blood disorders, Balding for Dollars works in partnership with BC Children’s Hospital to provide oncology, hematology, and bone marrow transplant patients and their families with experiences and programs to help them cope with the difficulties associated with serious illnesses.

Collected hair is donated to craft wigs for kids, and funds raised provide patients and families with the opportunity to take part in Balding for Dollars’ programs. These unique programs include group adventures, bursaries, family support and outreach efforts, and contribute to improving the quality of life for patients and their families in treatment.

The event has grown tremendously over the years and has been adopted by schools, universities and clubs across the province, raising over $190,000 last year alone.

This year’s main Balding for Dollars event, which takes place on May 14 at BC Children’s Hospital, hopes to boast over 500 participants made up of patient family members, friends, and staff who will enjoy live music, take post-shave photos and donate to the Balding for Dollars cause. We look forward to the great fun at this year’s event.

Despite the “Balding” moniker, participants aren’t limited to chopping off locks of hair. Fundraising can take many forms. Here are some ways you can get involve as well:

Host a bake sale at your school or office.

Set up a lemonade stand. With the weather warming up, nothing is more refreshing than a glass of ice cold lemonade. Set up your stand on a street corner with heavy foot traffic for maximum reach.

Organize a 50/50 raffle and donate half of the funds to Balding for Dollars. Ticket rolls can be found at your local party supplier or dollar store. For example, you can charge $1 for one ticket, $2 for three tickets, and $5 for an arm’s length. It may be a good idea to include a “by donation” option as well. Just make sure to review the guidelines for raffles as described by the BC Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch.

Ask students or coworkers to submit recipes and compile a charity cookbook. To keep costs low, you may consider an e-cookbook in a PDF format. Sell this cookbook to friends and foodies, and remind them that since the project will fund a good cause, it’s best not to distribute it for free; rather, encourage them to purchase it so Balding for Dollars can benefit from proceeds.